Located in the Quartier des spectacles, in the heart of bustling Montreal, the twin towers of the Maestria complex dominate their environment. This week they unveiled their footbridge, a distinctive feature of an elegant ensemble which has transformed the face of the city.

In the bustling urban landscape of Place des Festivals, the imposing columns of the Maestria project – 58 floors for one and 61 for the other – present themselves as the largest mixed-use residential project in the province with commercial space of 25,000 sq. ft. at its base (40,000 sq. ft. of office space and 24,000 sq. ft. of commercial space) and 1,742 high-rise residential units which include rental apartments, a majority of condos and a few apartments terraces.

Between the two glass giants, a link acts as a link and gives the complex a unique character. This transverse steel strip of 125,000 pounds, more than the weight of a Boeing 737, can accommodate 1,700 people and is the tallest footbridge ever built in the residential sector in Quebec.

Led by the real estate developer Devimco, in collaboration with four other players in the sector, including the architecture firm Lemay and the design studio BlazysGérard, Maestria is already the winner of several awards and won gold at the 2023 Grands Prix du design. Ultimately, the $730 million complex will be able to accommodate 2,500 residents. “That represents approximately the population of Cap-Chat, in Gaspésie. This is what we call creating a vertical city,” says Marco Fontaine, vice-president at Devimco.

Started in 2017, the project is located in a key location, at one of the busiest and most popular intersections in Montreal. The complex is also located among buildings which have a strong architectural signature.

The strategy was to seek a very refined volume with two monolithic towers which respond to each other and whose glass covering reflects both the light and the environment. Loggias punctuate and pixelate each of the facades and contribute to the aesthetics of the building. They offer residents the opportunity to have a front-row seat to the Quartier des spectacles. Each has its own recessed balcony, like a box at the theater, which allows you to have the festival district at your feet, argues William Atkinson, director of architecture and real estate intelligence at Devimco.

The intention was to offer an emblematic building to the city. Some signs do not lie. “The towers are not finished that we see people taking pictures of themselves in the street and raising their arms as if they were holding the footbridge. We see a sign that people connect with the project and we are proud of it”, adds the director of architecture.

From a technical point of view, the integration of a steel walkway between two buildings, and more than 100 meters (325 feet) in height, does not come to fruition without some technical feats. “We have two very tall, thin towers that must maintain a certain degree of flexibility to move when subjected to winds or seismic forces,” explains William Atkinson. The solution discussed with the engineering firm NCK was to attach the footbridge to one of the towers and support it on the other with an expansion joint.

Another major challenge was to maneuver this footbridge on a construction site which leaves little freedom of movement and at heights exposed to strong winds. Finding the right time window – a mild April morning, at dawn – and completing the task quickly was crucial: an exercise in precision that required fine orchestration.

The roof of the footbridge will eventually be accessible and will become a promenade with a terrace where residents will be able to enjoy an exterior view of the entertainment sector and the Old Port. Maestria is the first residential building located on Place des Festivals and an opportunity for its residents to experience the Quartier des spectacles all year round.

One of the strengths of the project, Devimco emphasizes, is to create an environment that promotes a mix of uses and users. “Due to the scale of the complex, it was important for us to foster a sense of belonging and provide places for residents to meet and socialize,” emphasizes the director of architecture. The common areas recall the vocation of the neighborhood with a creative studio, a cinema room, a library, a common kitchen and a piano bar which is a nod to the Jazz Festival. There is also a golf course, swimming pools and a Scandinavian spa circuit.

The project is already nearly 76% occupied or leased and will be completed in 2025. Prices range from $1,500 to $3,900 per month for rental, $526,000 to $1,100,000 for condos and start at $2,219,000 for penthouses.

In a previous version of the text it was stated that the balconies are projecting. They are rather behind.